the forgotten battle netflix movie review

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Stream It Or Skip It: ‘The Forgotten Battle’ on Netflix, A Dutch War Film With Some Personal Points Of View

Where to stream:.

• The Forgotten Battle
• Stream It Or Skip It

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The Forgotten Battle (Netflix), a Dutch Second World War drama from director Matthijs van Heijningen, Jr. (he directed that prequel to The Thing a few years back), looks at the 1944 Battle of the Scheldt from three different perspectives: The German occupation, the Dutch resistance, and the Allied soldiers. With a budget of around $16 million, The Forgotten Battle is one of the most expensive Dutch films ever made.

THE FORGOTTEN BATTLE : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: It’s September 1944, three months after the Allied invasion of Normandy. Germany has been forced to withdraw to the east, and Antwerp, with its port facilities vital to Allied resupply, has already been liberated. Problem is, the Nazis still control the River Scheldt, Antwerp’s deep water route to the North Sea, and they’re dug in hard on Walcheren Island, at the Western mouth of the river. All of Zeeland is banking on liberation any day, and German forces are shifty and tense in the region. Teuntje (Susan Radder) works in the mayor’s office, where the Netherlands’ grudging appeasement of the Germans seems to finally be at an end. But it’s not that simple, as the Wehrmacht reinforce their presence in preparation of fighting a delaying action. The forces of Commandant Oberst Berghof (Justus von Dohnanyi) also begin rounding up local boys as agitators, including Teunt’s brother Dirk (Ronald Kalter).

Meanwhile, out on the Russian front, Marinus Van Stavern (Gijs Blom) is a Dutch member of the Wehrmacht infantry. Wounded, he’s recovering in a field hospital when he meets an embittered second lieutenant (he lost his legs), who spits out a quote from Goebbels. “If you tell a lie big enough and repeat it often enough, eventually people will come to believe it.” And before he knows it, Van Stavern is transferred to a desk job in Zeeland as Berghof’s personal secretary. At the same time, across the Channel in Dorset, RAF paratrooper Will Sinclair (Jamie Flatters) is the pilot of a towed glider alongside his First Officer, Turner (Tom Felton of Harry Potter fame). When they join a massive Operation Market Garden reconnaissance squadron, their bird is promptly struck by German 88mm cannon fire and they ditch in the flooded estuary of the River Scheldt.

While it’s clear that these individuals and their respective points of view will converge, it’s a thrill to watch The Forgotten Battle get around to finally making it happen. As Teuntje is recruited by the Dutch resistance for a daring mission, Van Stavern is transferred to a defensive emplacement on Walcheren Island, and Sinclair makes it to the Canadian Army lines, where he joins them in brutal assault over the muddy causeways on the heavily-fortified Wehrmacht positions. The war journey is never in a straight line for anyone, no matter their side.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of? It’s always interesting to view the events of the Second World War from beyond Hollywood’s perspective. The 2017 Norwegian film The 12th Man dramatizes the escape of resistance fighter Jan Baalsrud from the Nazis’ clutches after an operation gone wrong. Black Book , meanwhile, was Paul Verhoven’s 2006 war drama starring Carice “Melisandre of Asshai” van Houten that also became one of the Netherlands’ most successful films ever. 2008’s Max Manus: Man of War , meanwhile, starred Aksel Hennie as the titular hero of Norway’s fight against German occupation.

Performance Worth Watching: Jamie Flatters brings a cocksure and square-jawed confidence to his early scenes as a glider operations pilot in the RAF’s No. 644 Squadron. But as Will Sinclair is shot down, and he slogs his way through enemy territory to the Canadian lines before joining the Canucks’ infantry assault, his natural bravado curdles into jaded resolve.

Memorable Dialogue: “Liberation. That was a misunderstanding. The Germans are back.” Dr. Visser (Jan Bijvoet) makes this observation to Teuntje gravely, as columns of Wehrmacht infantry that days before were trudging out of Zeeland are marching back in. “The Allies never crossed our border.”

Sex and Skin: Nee .

Our Take: Draped in an overcast pallor that emulates cloud cover over the European peninsula as much as it does the dour, dangerous business of war and occupation, The Forgotten Battle does its best to portray big picture scope even as it dials in on the three individual stories at its core. Whether it’s Teuntje arguing with her hothead brother Dirk over the relative merit of the larger resistance movement versus preservation of family, life, and limb, or the varying states of willingness to get in the fight represented by the members of Will’s stick who get stuck playing cat and mouse with German patrols in the Dutch muck, or Van Stavern’s drastic shift in personal philosophy as he bears more and more witness to a German Army left with only sadism and blind allegiance to der Fuhrer , the strings Forgotten Battle pulls on are never less than taut, twisty, and fraying. It’s as the legless lieutenant tells Van Stavern. “There is no such thing as good.” And then he puts a Luger in his mouth.

Credit van Heijningen, Jr., too, with staging some gripping war action. His camera assumes the point of view of the paratroopers in the payload of Sinclair and Turner’s glider, then pans upward through the glass of the pilots’ cabin to take in the massive scope of the squadron as it flies over the English Channel. Elsewhere in Forgotten , as the Canadian troops march into the teeth of the German emplacements, tracers lance overhead as troops leap desperately into the craters of previous artillery barrages. It offers more than a measure of the extreme effort expended in human beings and materiel for what often amounts to utter futility.

Our Call: STREAM IT. The Forgotten Battle approaches the scope of a war epic in look and feel while keeping its focus on the disparate trio of individuals at its core, fated to meet in war.

Will you stream or skip the Dutch war film #TheForgottenBattle on @netflix ? #SIOSI — Decider (@decider) October 16, 2021

Johnny Loftus is an independent writer and editor living at large in Chicagoland. His work has appeared in The Village Voice, All Music Guide, Pitchfork Media, and Nicki Swift. Follow him on Twitter: @glennganges

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The Forgotten Battle Reviews

The Forgotten Battle isn’t incredible or particularly special, other than being Netflix’s first Dutch film it has co-produced and the second most expensive Dutch film ever made.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Jan 16, 2023

The Forgotten Battle is a gripping war picture.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Oct 21, 2022

A welcome surprise from the Netherlands. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Nov 16, 2021

Sure to satisfy history buffs as well as fans of well-crafted personal journeys

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Nov 12, 2021

If you've been missing a spectacular but uncomplicated wartime epic, this is it.

Full Review | Oct 29, 2021

Unflinching, brutal, terrifying, sad, and gut-wrenching, The Forgotton Battle is at times absolutely stunning.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Oct 27, 2021

There's careful work in the combat scenes' elaboration, and in the depiction of the characters, which makes the story credible and the actions sustainable. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Oct 25, 2021

The Forgotten Battle approaches the scope of a war epic in look and feel while keeping its focus.

Full Review | Oct 19, 2021

Director Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. ("The Thing")... stages spectacular, chaotic (hand-held cameras) firefights where the slaughter is so in-your-face you might find yourself ducking.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Oct 15, 2021

• Coffee House

Grimy, echt and gripping: Netflix’s The Forgotten Battle reviewed

All the combat stuff is spectacular and paula van der oest’s screenplay never follows the rules.

• From magazine issue: 30 October 2021

James Delingpole

The Forgotten Battle

16, Netflix

The Forgotten Battle is a Dutch feature film commemorating the desperate and relatively little-known Allied assault on the Scheldt estuary in October and November 1944. When I went to the battlefield decades later with veterans of 47 RM Commando, they told me it was worse than D-Day because the Germans knew they were coming and had prepared stronger defences. Nearly 13,000 Allied soldiers were killed or wounded (about the same as the German casualties), half of them Canadians.

It has been a long time since I watched a half-decent second world war movie, mostly because they hardly bother making them any more. In the past decade, I can think only of Fury , a silly, implausible movie which suggested that a geriatric Sherman crew led by Brad Pitt was more than a match for an SS Panzer Division; Dunkirk , which was very Christopher Nolan-y, but not a patch on the 1958 version with Johnny Mills and Dickie Attenborough; and Hacksaw Ridge , which I liked much better because it really did capture the horror of the Pacific war, though I’m still not persuaded that it is possible to charge an enemy position while holding the tattered remains of a Japanese corpse in front of you as a shield.

The film doesn’t attempt to suggest that the Germans are any worse than the Allies. Some are, some aren’t

When the opening credits of The Forgotten Battle roll you think it’s going to be rubbish because various countries appear to have used it as a tax-avoidance scheme. But no, you’re straight in there and it’s grimy and echt: it’s September 1944 and the Germans are finally retreating from occupied Holland, burning papers and clogging roads, and the Dutch can barely dis-guise their glee.

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Keir starmer’s fortunes are about to change.

This is remembered by the Dutch as Dolle Dinsdag (Mad Tuesday), the poignant and tragic part being that the jubilation was short-lived: instead of retreating, the Germans decided to shore up their defences and the Dutch, who had celebrated prematurely, were cruelly abused or even killed. We see this in one of the characters, a hotheaded young man who chucks a rock at the windscreen of a German truck, accidentally causing a number of deaths. Threats of reprisal inevitably follow from the German commander. If he doesn’t give himself up, innocents will die in his stead.

What I really liked about this film, apart from the generally realistic look and feel of it, is that nothing goes quite as you would expect in a conventional war movie. In war movies there are heroes and heroics and predictable narrative arcs. When a handsome young glider pilot is discovered to be a virgin and when, elsewhere, we have met a pretty Dutch girl, we assume that when their paths inevitably cross romance will ensue. Paula van der Oest’s screenplay, however, does not follow the rules. It doesn’t even attempt to suggest that the Germans are any worse than the Allies. Some are, some aren’t. It depends.

Very few of those who fought in the second world war are still with us and what’s noticeable as we drift further from their era is the way films have less and less feel for the period. The glider pilot, for example, played by Jamie Flatters, is handsome but he behaves and sounds more like a spoilt Esports champion from a minor public school than a 1940s chap; and the banter between the pilots doesn’t ring quite true. These shortfalls are offset, though, by the spectacular advances in cinematic technology. It’s now possible for a fairly modest-budget war movie to recreate a glider fleet (tugged by bombers) under flak attack with such astonishing verisimilitude that it’s as if you were actually there.

All the combat stuff is gripping, capturing well that sense of randomness and hallucinatory strangeness for the participants, such as the climactic and all-but-suicidal assault on a heavily defended causeway. We’re persuaded throughout — spoiler alert — that this won’t be necessary because the brave Dutch resistance will get the plans of the German positions to the Allies just in time. But Matthijs Van Heijningen Jr’s film won’t play that game. War is a meatgrinder, he tells us. Whether or not you get out alive is pure dumb luck. I recommend this film. It rings true.

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• Cast & crew
• User reviews

The Forgotten Battle

In WWII's final years, a soldier in the German army, a British glider pilot, and a Dutch resistance fighter's paths intertwine. Their choices shape destinies, impacting not only their freedo... Read all In WWII's final years, a soldier in the German army, a British glider pilot, and a Dutch resistance fighter's paths intertwine. Their choices shape destinies, impacting not only their freedom but also that of others. In WWII's final years, a soldier in the German army, a British glider pilot, and a Dutch resistance fighter's paths intertwine. Their choices shape destinies, impacting not only their freedom but also that of others.

• Matthijs van Heijningen Jr.
• Paula van der Oest
• Jesse Maiman
• Pauline van Mantgem
• Jamie Flatters
• Susan Radder
• 291 User reviews
• 36 Critic reviews
• 6 wins & 4 nominations

Top cast 59

• Marinus van Staveren

• William Sinclair

• Teuntje Visser

• Doctor Visser

• Tony Turner

• Henk Schneijder

• Dirk Visser
• Mayor Oostveen

• Oberst Berghof

• Pim den Oever
• Jobse Brother 1

• Jobse Brother 2

• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

• Trivia Filming the battle scenes in the Netherlands turned out to be near-impossible due to all kinds of environmental issues (certain wild animal populations that couldn't be disturbed, no permission for explosive effects, etc.). Another problem was that modern windmills had been placed around the original site of the titular battle, and money spent on digitally removing them would be better spent on adding planes or destroyed villages. The problem was solved by going to Lithuania, which offers tax benefits for movie productions. A piece of unused farmland was rented there from a farmer, who told production that they could do with it as they pleased. An entire dam was built there specifically for the battle scene.
• Goofs The Airspeed AS.51 Horsa, the glider the characters crash in, carries up to 28 troops, 2 Jeep or similar vehicles, a single Jeep plus towed howitzer, other cargo, or a mix. There is no evidence the troops on board were associated with or made room for any cargo, or vehicles they could not recover, or any other reason there are some 20 troops missing, such as they were all killed, when they crash.

Tony Turner : We're not giving ourselves up. If we do that, we're as good as dead. I'd rather drown.

John : That's easy for you to say, you're going to die anyway.

Tony Turner : Maybe, John. But not today.

• Connections Featured in Twee voor twaalf: Episode dated 7 October 2022 (2022)

User reviews 291

• Instant_Palmer
• Jan 23, 2022
• How long is The Forgotten Battle? Powered by Alexa
• October 15, 2021 (United States)
• Netherlands
• Official Netflix
• Official Website
• Trận chiến sông Scheldt
• Levitate Film
• Caviar Films
• Evangelische Omroep (EO)
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• €14,000,000 (estimated)

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 4 minutes
• Dolby Atmos

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The Forgotten Battle (2021) Movie Review – A Surprisingly Good War Film

A Surprisingly Good War Film

The Forgotten Battle is a well-written, gritty war movie that leans into its characters to deliver three parallel narratives. Those expecting a lot of action will be disappointed but the characters are well written and the way everything collides together naturally at the end serves as a nice way to conclude this film.

World War II is our setting and after a slick animation showing the advancement of the Allies across a map of Europe, the film wastes absolutely no time getting right to the heart of the drama. It’s September 1944 and the Allies have captured the port of Antwerp. However, celebrations are halted given the Germans still control the Scheldt estuary, preventing precious supplies from reaching Antwerp.

Walcheren Island is the key to the German’s defence, prompting Operation Market Garden – and the ensuing skirmishes beyond that – to be launched.

With three interwoven narratives, each leading to the same eventual conclusion, a handful of British troops are the primal focus of the front-line battles. Specifically, this falls to cocky William Sinclair, who begins as part of the RAF before crash-landing in Walcheren, stuck behind enemy lines and fighting for his – and his small band of comrades’ – lives.

Inside Walcheren, a Dutch teenager called Dirk stands up to the Germans but his actions lead to three soldiers losing their lives. This single action sees him go into hiding, kept in the basement and leaving his sister Teun in grave danger – and the narrative focus for the second plot.

The third and final story centers on Marinus, who happens to be a Dutch soldier who’s enlisted with the German army. Given the offensive is within his homeland, Marinus begins to question his purpose and just whose side he should be fighting on.

For the most part, the story does well although those expecting a lot of fighting and a non-stop chain of action and tension will be left disappointed. This is much closer to a character study and because of that, the middle portion of this film does tend to get bogged down as it shifts between the different players. However, sandwiched around this is are bursts of action, typified by a pretty exciting battle sequence lasting around 15-20 minutes at the end.

The action itself though is gritty, well shot and pretty accurate too. Now, I’m no historian but the guns and costume design all look authentic and there’s a real boots-on-the-ground feel that mirrors the tension and visceral action seen in Band of Brothers or Saving Private Ryan.

While the opening skirmish, involving a rocket launcher blowing up a tank is probably the best pick of the bunch, the action at the end should be enough to make the patient wait until that point worth it.

Visually, there are some absolutely stunning shots. One establishing scene late on, as the sky paints a murky grey and wisps of smoke cross the battlefield, paints silhouettes of Allied soldiers walking toward the camera. It’s hauntingly beautiful and these picturesque moments crop up throughout the movie.

There’s another as dawn rises across the water outside Walcheren, along with a particular highlight in the sky as the camera pans across to show the sheer number of Allied fighters joining the operation.

I mentioned before about visceral action but don’t go in expecting a lot of blood and guts. This is a film that’s much more interested in telling three consistent stories rather than throwing in buckets of blood and gore for shock value. There are still moments that grip you – such as a soldier missing an arm – but mostly this is a movie that focuses on telling a coherent story.

As far as war movies go though, The Forgotten Battle is surprisingly good – especially for a 2021 film. The action is well-choregraphed, the visuals are stunning and the three stories work well in the context of the time period. While it is perhaps a little too slow during the middle portion and the civilian story isn’t quite as strong as it could be, this is definitely one of the better movies released this year.

Feel free to check out more of our movie reviews here!

• Verdict - 7.5/10 7.5/10

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Parents' guide to, the forgotten battle.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 3 Reviews
• Kids Say 2 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Incredible, sad, brutal retelling of crucial WWII battle.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Forgotten Battle is a definitely-not-for-kids Dutch World War II movie about the Battle of the Scheldt. A gritty war film, this intense historical snapshot of brutal combat contains a ton of violence, blood, gore, shooting, fighting, stabbing, explosions, killing, beatings,…

Why Age 16+?

Lots of violence. Lots of blood, shooting, explosions, fighting, etc. Men get th

Some strong language throughout: "s--t," "sissy," "bastard," "idiot," "dingbat,"

Adults constantly smoke and share cigarettes. Adults also drink wine.

Romantic relationships between some characters are implied. In one scene, men jo

Any Positive Content?

While the soldiers all fight, shoot, and kill people, Teuntje and Janna are the

Do the right thing, even if it means making a huge sacrifice. Resist, fight, and

The film is World War II historical fiction, "inspired by true events," and set

Violence & Scariness

Lots of violence. Lots of blood, shooting, explosions, fighting, etc. Men get their limbs blown off and hold onto their legs and arms, screaming in agony. Trucks run over soldiers, men shoot men point blank, across fields, and often in the head. There are many fight scenes, stabbings, bottles broken over heads, grenade explosions, beatings, shoot-out scenes, some aerial combat, and moments of gore, like when a man uses a pistol to repeatedly bash in the head of another man. Lots of dead bodies pile up and wounded soldiers are shown often with bandages, missing limbs, necks cut or slit, and/or with shrapnel all over their bodies. There are executions, torture (Nazis torture a resistance fighter by cutting off his fingers or bashing them in), suicide (men blow their own heads off), and tank cannon fire that explode many people into bits.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Some strong language throughout: "s--t," "sissy," "bastard," "idiot," "dingbat," and "hell."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Romantic relationships between some characters are implied. In one scene, men joke about how many women they've slept with.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Role Models

While the soldiers all fight, shoot, and kill people, Teuntje and Janna are the real saviors. Brave and courageous, they are determined to save innocent lives and accomplish their mission. They do the right thing even when at great risk to themselves and their families.

Positive Messages

Do the right thing, even if it means making a huge sacrifice. Resist, fight, and stand against fascism.

Diverse Representations

The film is World War II historical fiction, "inspired by true events," and set in Europe. Leading up to the Battle of the Scheldt, the entire film features White characters either on the side of the Allies or the Nazis. But one of the main characters is a woman and she becomes incredibly important (along with another woman friend) in getting the Allies the intelligence needed to be victorious.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Parents need to know that The Forgotten Battle is a definitely-not-for-kids Dutch World War II movie about the Battle of the Scheldt. A gritty war film, this intense historical snapshot of brutal combat contains a ton of violence, blood, gore, shooting, fighting, stabbing, explosions, killing, beatings, torture, suicide, and executions. Men get their limbs blown off and hold onto their legs and arms, screaming in agony. Trucks run over soldiers, men shoot men point blank, across fields, in the trenches, in residential areas, and often in the head. Lots of dead bodies pile up and wounded soldiers are often shown with bandages, missing limbs, necks cut or slit, and/or with shrapnel all over their bodies. There are executions, torture (Nazis torture a resistance fighter by cutting off his fingers or bashing them in), suicide (men blow their own heads off), and tank cannon fire that explode many people into bits. Not for the faint of heart, this incredibly realistic portrayal of war is thrilling, but very brutal. Some strong language includes, "s--t," "sissy," "bastard," "idiot," "dingbat," and "hell," and men drink alcohol and constantly smoke cigarettes. Strong messages of sacrifice, courage , and fighting against fascism. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

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Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say (3)
• Kids say (2)

Based on 3 parent reviews

British aspect fails drastically

What's the story.

In THE FORGOTTEN WAR, a Dutch resistance member, Teuntje Visser (Susan Radder), a British glider pilot, William Sinclair (Jamie Flatters), and a Nazi soldier, Marinus van Staveren (Gijs Blom), all end up changing the course of the Battle of the Scheldt. Before their heroic efforts, and at great cost, the Battle of the Scheldt was a losing situation that would massacre thousands of Allied soldiers. But because of their incredible bravery, history was changed forever.

Is It Any Good?

Director Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. has crafted an almost masterpiece of war cinema. Unflinching, brutal, terrifying, sad, and gut-wrenching, The Forgotton Battle is at times absolutely stunning. The cinematography from the prolific Lennert Hillege is dazzling and infused with grit, melancholy, and brutality. Explosions in the distance light up the night sky as soldiers quietly sneak their way past enemy combatants. Action and battle sequences are expertly sewn together and scripted, leading to intense scenes that rival any other canonical World War II movie. Additionally, the casting seems perfect, from the quietly impressive performance of Susan Radder (Teuntje Visser) to the smaller role of British pilot Tony Turner, perfectly played by Tom Felton of Harry Potter fame.

The scope of The Forgotten Battle is also ambitious. By choosing to tell the stories of 3 different main characters, the film can sometimes get bogged down with slow pacing as it has to jump between these 3 different (but intertwined) storylines. There's a lot character building and story scaffolding that might bore some viewers. And further, one of the main characters is a young Nazi soldier, who eventually becomes disillusioned with war and his Nazi party. Some viewers might find this yet another redemption story for someone who shouldn't necessarily be getting attention at all (see: Crash or Monster's Ball ). But at least the focus is divided between the two other characters and their immediate social groups, and the conclusion to the young Nazi soldier's story is effective, sad, and powerful.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about violence in war movies. Do you think the violence in The Forgotten Battle is too much? If so, why? If not, why?

How is the character strength of courage presented here?

Did you feel happy with the conclusion? If not, what could have made it more satisfying?

Movie Details

• On DVD or streaming : October 15, 2021
• Cast : Gijs Blom , Jamie Flatters , Susan Radder , Jan Bijvoet
• Director : Matthijs van Heijningen Jr.
• Inclusion Information : Female actors
• Studio : Netflix
• Genre : Drama
• Topics : History
• Character Strengths : Courage
• Run time : 127 minutes
• MPAA rating : NR
• Last updated : February 28, 2022

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The Forgotten Battle [2021] Review: A Triumphant War film That Never Loses Steam

‘The Forgotten Battle’ (De slag om de Schelde) is a refreshing addition to the war genre that has been craving one for a while now. The film is set in the twilight of the Second World War when Germany’s demise seemed an inevitability. The Allied charge into Germany met a stern hurdle that indicated bleak chances of overturning. Despite losing most of their occupied territory in Western Europe, the Germans controlled the Scheldt river, and with it, the Allies’ supplies. If the war was to be won, it was at this critical juncture that the tide had to turn their way. A failure to do so would give Germans enough time to recuperate and out plan their enemies.

The film is partly shot in Dutch, English, and German languages. It shares a lot of structural and narrative similarities to Sam Mendes’ ‘ 1917 ‘. A map, that is the only way the Allies can topple the resistance, becomes the key to victory, like General Erinmore’s message to withdraw from the attack. These moments might not seem heroic or remarkable but were significant in shaping history as we know it today. Not only does ‘The Forgotten Battle’ not only achieves technical perfection with its realistic setups and authentic-looking special effects but also lends a compelling dramatic heft to the storytelling. Each of the protagonists – a British soldier, a Dutch Axis soldier, and a Zeeland native – start on different paths but converge together in heartbreak in the end. In a similar vein to most films depicting a world war, ‘Forgotten’ shares a kindred sentiment for war. Its critique of the brutality is craftily woven into personal stories of loss and sacrifice.

Related to The Forgotten Battle – WIND RIVER [2017]: HORRORS OF A FORGOTTEN COMMUNITY

There are both perspectives of the enterprising and reluctant – choice and lack of it dictating how the protagonists find themselves in their circumstances. While the Allied soldier participates in the suicidal mission of his own volition, the Zeelander is dragged into the war after her brother’s execution. This confluence has become an integral part of modern conventions, although is seldom done without glorifying or belittling either side. Admittedly, I thought the Resistance plotline was a bit rushed. It seemed to be underdeveloped in comparison to how well the other plotlines were groomed from the ground up. The shady leader is sprung upon us like he had to be introduced to justify Dirk’s actions. There was a lot that could have been extracted from this segment, something like Paul Verhoeven’s brilliant ‘Black Book’ but probably would not have fit the overall scheme of the film.

A noticeable criticism of ‘The Forgotten Battle’ and various other films dealing with the subject is the lack of recognition of the roles played by Canadian forces. It started with ‘Argo’ and continues with ‘Forgotten’. History books have documented the leading role the troops played in this war. The first and probably the only mention of a Canadian soldier was by Will when he meets Bill at the Allied camp. Besides that, they are mostly excluded from the narrative. Although it does not count as inaccuracy in representation, it certainly does dampen spirits to not see them included.

Susan Radder’s starring turn is pivotal in establishing the film’s emotional credibility. Her central performance glues the story together and acts as a sort of bridge between the two worlds. It is a bit surprising to see that she has not done more major roles in feature films. Teun, her character, showcases immense courage in the face of death and the possibility of ridding her father of another child.

Also, Read – NEWTON [2017] – THE STORY OF A FORGOTTEN COMMUNITY

These unsung heroes are often resigned to the margins of lists counting and celebrating valor in books about war. They seldom make it to mass attention, remaining at the precipe of deserving respect. Gijs Blom, who plays van Staveren, is authentic as the troubled German soldier who tries his best to keep his morality intact in the most testing of times. Both the artists have some major praise and starring roles coming their way.

‘The Forgotten Battle’ is a tightly wound war film that works both because of the work in front of the camera and off it. It is a valuable addition to the recent trend of historical films picking out instances that do not make it to the mainstream conversation. Its winning special effects and actions sequences put it on par with any genre film worth its salt. Do not skip this one!

The Forgotten Battle is now streaming on Netflix

The Forgotten Battle Links – IMDb The Forgotten Battle Cast – Gijs Blom, Jamie Flatters, Susan Radder

Self-effacing and self-absorbed. College at RGNUL. A Cùle forever. Driven, ambitious, and "I hate most people". Oh, and I love movies if that wasn't obvious.

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